Jobless claims decreased by 41k to 220k (est. 249k); lowest level since Feb. 1973, biggest drop since April 2009 Continuing claims rose by 76k to 1.952m in week ended Jan. 6 (data reported with one-week lag). Four-week average of initial claims, a less-volatile measure than the weekly figure, fell to 244,500 from the prior week's 250,750.

The drop in claims shows that companies are increasingly holding on to their employees amid a shortage of skilled labor. Businesses are struggling to find workers to fill positions, particularly in manufacturing and construction, as cited in some anecdotes for the Federal Reserve's Beige Book released Wednesday.

The figures suggest the unemployment rate of 4.1%, already the lowest since 2000, could be poised to decline further. The latest week for claims includes the 12th of the month, which is the reference period for the Labor Department's monthly employment surveys.

Caveats for the latest numbers include the fact that the week was sandwiched between two periods containing holidays, when data tend to be more volatile. In addition, more states than usual had estimated figures.